This sort of argument bugs the fucking hell out of me, really it does. Especially when coupled with the whole "representative democracy" bullshit.

Apparently people are interested enough, engaged enough and clever enough to understand what they are voting for when it comes to a general election and thus hand a mandate to whichever sordid bunch of venal cunts are up for election this time, but they definitely are not interested enough, engaged enough and clever enough to understand what they are voting for on an issue such as this Treaty.

Yes, many people are disengaged from politics—although the EU-induced similarity of the parties has, in my view, an awful lot to do with this.

Yes, many people are stupid and more are ignorant; but that is not really the point, is it? We live in a democracy, albeit a highly flawed one, and ultimately the power that the politicians wield belongs not to them, but is loaned to the politicos by the true owners: the people of this country.

Any fucking Treaty which gives away any power should not be ratified purely through Parliament, as EU Referendum emphasises.

Where, of course, this paper goes utterly wrong is in defining Parliamentary sovereignty as unfettered license. For sure, Parliament is sovereign in its own House, (once) having absolute mastery of its own rules and procedures. But the ultimate sovereignty belongs to the people. The Guardian would have it that Parliament is free to give away something which is not its to give. It has no license or mandate so to do.

And whilst Nosemonkey might take comfort in the document's turgidity, he rather misses the point.

... the end result is bland and uninspiring, with little of any real substance or radicalism about it. Which is precisely why opponents of the EU have had to shift the argument on to the referendum issue - a simpler, easier to understand issue on which everyone thinks they know what they’re talking about, and about which it’s a lot easier to get excited than a massively long legal text that hardly anyone really understands, and that’s deliberately so vague it can be interpreted in any number of ways.

Given the rest of the tenor of his post, Nosemonkey obviously thinks that this vagueness is a bug; it's not. The fact that aspects of the Treaty can be "interpreted in any number of ways" is, from The Colleagues' point of view, a feature. As we have been finding out to our cost.

Although he has "insisted" that he had "defended all the British national interests," in truth, Brown – no more than Major at Maastricht – has any real idea what he has given away. Who knew, for instance, that in a minor amendment to the transport policy, Major gave away all our powers on road safety, giving the EU the authority to make laws on speed limits, drink-driving limits and many other related issues?

An old hand at this game, Ambrose Evans Pritchard points out that, in this current treaty, Brown has given away power over our energy supplies. He writes:

Critics have warned that this risks repeating the error made by the Heath Government when it handed over control of British fishing reserves in the 1970s. UK oil reserves, although depleted, still make up the majority of the EU's untapped crude.

Article 176 gives Brussels powers to ensure "the security and energy supply", with decisions taken by majority vote. A separate article (100) says states must share their reserves in a crisis. It was removed after British protests, but has been slipped back into the text. As always with EU treaties, it is not until later that you find out which neglected sub-clauses prove to have the most far-reaching effects.

That last sentence has particularly sinister implications, for – as we illustrated recently – we are still learning things about the 1957 Treaty of Rome that we did not know. Even with later treaties – as with Maastricht, nearly 20 years ago – there are whole tranches, such as road safety, where the commission is only now beginning to flex its muscles.

Coupled with our spineless, corrupt, piss-ignorant, utterly useless politicians, the self-amending nature of this Treaty means that there will be an awful lot of nasty surprises over the coming years.

The question is, will the British people meekly lie down and accept it all, or will we finally rise up and use the rope and lamp post as negotiating tools to cleanse us of the parasites? Let us hope so for then, finally, I can take a break from my ranting and gaze instead at the lamp posts of Europe, gaily festooned with the hanging bodies of corrupt politicians and conniving civil servants.

8 comments:

So, Lord Haskins thinks that we serfs should not be allowed to have an opinion on the new EU Constitution (YP article 27th Jan). It is too complicated for our tiny brains, according to the noble Lord.

Presumably we need the staggering intellect of Neil Kinnock; the sleaze-free honesty of Peter Mandelson; the Vichy Government experience of Françoise Mitterand and the diplomatic acumen of Lord Haskins himself, before he would consider us capable of voting the ‘right’ way on the EU Constitution.

Lord Haskins attitude eminently suits him to be a rising star in the EU.

What if the fuckers decide that we're too much of a bunch of dullards to vote in an MP?

Seriously - what if they decreed that they would just take an opinion poll on a cold Thursday in December and the result would decide the make up of parliament for five years - allocate us a 'representative' and be done with it;

Just like the bin collections moving to once a fucking fortnight;

"80% of you said you would"

Well no-one asked me or anyone else I know, I phoned the local authority about that and asked when the survey was done as I hadn't seen it - the woman admitted it was the result of a poll asking people if they would recycle if their were facilities available...

Its us or them time now! The evil commisars cant even be bothered to lie convincingly anymore! why should they even bother in the future? I mean who is going to stop them? Shit floats? We are now being led by a bunch of elitist arrogant crooks who have sold our country to the Euromafia for their 'twenty pieces of silver' I dream of the day these traitors are hanging from the lamposts along Whitehall!queue song... they were hanging from the lampost at the corner of the street as a certain libertarian walked by, Oh me Oh my as a certain libertarian walked by!I find myself humming that to myself often! it cheers me up no end!

Does anyone else remember Milovan Djilas' book "The New Class"? It detailed the rise of the "new class of exploiters" in the old Yugoslavia and other countries of Eastern Europe?So now we have a new clas arisign in Western Europe too - controlling and manipulating the nation for their own good - in salaries, pensions and power. They, too, will fall from their positions - but the chaos they leave behind will be horrific. I do so hope that some will be arrested for treason . . . .

I think you may have missed the best part of the EU Referendum post you refer to. It's always the first site I check for matters relating to the EU. I always find it measured and insightful. So when they finish theiir post with the follwing I was quite taken aback.

'First, though, has to come the realisation that our government – of which Mr Brown is a member - is no longer in Westminster, but Brussels and that, behind the smiling faces and soothing words, it is our enemy. Then, if history is any guide, we will have to kill them'.

I think they're with you with the rope and lamposts plan.

Incidentally, they've since added another post that is well worth reading.

There is no way that the commisars will give up power now of their own accord! The arrogant bloated commisars betray themselves as they let slip the real aims of the CONstitution! If one thing is going to make people realise what a terrible thing this EUSSR superstate truly is, its going to be the toe curling and arrogant self satisfied gloating that the commisars are engaging in!